


Lost & Found

by IvyEmpress



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness & Explorers of Sky
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Guys it's just so fluffy, How do I tag things I am new help, Hurt/Comfort, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, Lots of blushing, Memory Loss, My First AO3 Post, Nicknames, Pre-Relationship, falling asleep together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 22:24:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21417658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyEmpress/pseuds/IvyEmpress
Summary: Kaylee the Cyndaquil lost her sense of self when she became a Pokémon, stranded in an unfamiliar world with no memories other than her name. Suddenly, a Bulbasaur named Lierre dragged her into every delight and oddity this world had to offer. One sleepless night, Kaylee realizes just how lucky she is to have him.
Relationships: Partner Pokemon/Player Character (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	Lost & Found

**Author's Note:**

> “We’re the monsters and fire-breathers, we were the quiet sunrise leavers /  
You were a good girl, what could I do? I was a lost boy when I met you.” - "Lost Boy" by The Midnight
> 
> Hello everyone! This is the first time I'm posting one of my fics, and I'm both very nervous to do this and very excited to share my work with you all. I wrote this last year when I wanted to show some love to my PMD Explorers of Time team, Kaylee the Cyndaquil and Lierre the Bulbasaur. These two have been my babies for many years and I ship them terribly. I hope you enjoy some late night fluffy stuff~ <3 (Also please forgive me for my fic titles, I'm warning you in advance that I am NOT good at giving names to things. Luckily there's plenty of song titles for me to choose from, and The Midnight has quite the repertoire of music~)

Moonlight flowed languidly across the velvet midnight sky, blanketing the night in a silver sheen. It streamed through a tiny circular window and diffused like mist in the air of the bedroom. Only the gentle breeze that rustled the sheer white curtains made a sound amidst the midnight silence. Two small, circular nests lay next to each other in the center of the room. The sun had set what seemed like a lifetime ago, allowing the moon to reign over a silent, tranquil night.

It was here that a small Cyndaquil contemplated the nature of the life she had been thrust into. Less than a year ago, she woke on the shore of an unknown beach with only the memory of her own name, Kaylee. This beach belonged to the bizarre and wondrous world of Pokémon. Creatures from beyond imagination were found at every turn, living their days in adventure as they each made their journey through their beautiful, vibrant world. When Kaylee awoke, she was a complete stranger to it all. Immediately, she felt as if she did not belong to this realm, or among the friendly monsters who called it home. They were used to a way of life that seemed almost magical, where fierce battles and mythical powers were commonplace. Where did she fit into a world like this? _Who_ was she? What was her life like before this moment, and where would these unfathomable roads lead into her future? There were so many doubts and insecurities to make peace with when she awoke. Even her own body had felt _wrong_, as if her very form had become something foreign. She wondered in the back of her mind if there was a possibility that her original body was not that of a Cyndaquil, or even of a Pokémon at all. No, of course not, her rational side tried to convince her. One day her memories would return, and she would determine what to do with herself from there.

She was overthinking her situation once more, a habit that had cost her countless nights of sleep over the past several months since the incident. When this happened, and she felt her mind drifting to the negative, she forced herself to calm and remind herself of the positives instead. There were far more of those, after all. Since waking up, she had slowly discovered that this world she had stumbled into was far more fascinating than she could have ever imagined. This world was so colorful and full of life, riddled with surprises at every turn. She could walk through gorgeous forests, explore winding cliffs, and unwind in decadent hot springs. Her new home base, Treasure Town, was always bustling with new arrivals, Pokémon from all over regaling townsfolk with rousing tales of their adventures. There were new friends to be found every day, easing her transition into this new life, and bringing with them comfort and a sense of belonging. This life was beyond exhilarating, but this room, on this night, felt so peaceful. Here, lying on her belly in a slightly haphazard straw nest, looking out the moonlit window, she felt as if she had come home.

In the center of the darkness that surrounded her life, one light became her guide, her hope, and her salvation. That light took form in the young Bulbasaur that slept beside her, snoring softly in his perfectly kept grassy nest embedded with small pink flowers. He was named Lierre, which Kaylee believed was an oddly familiar word for “ivy” in a language she could not describe. As far as she could recall (which was, unfortunately, not much), he was the single sweetest person she ever had the pleasure to meet. Her very first memory since she was awoken was of his smile. He seemed so ecstatic to meet a potential friend, especially when they washed upon the shore of his favorite place in the world, a secret beach where he reveled in the majesty of the setting sun. That very day, he roped her into his life’s dream of forming an exploration team. As members of the prestigious Wigglytuff’s Exploration Guild, they shared the opportunity to journey through this strange and fascinating world. Many months later, they had participated in countless rescues and treasure hunts, and relished their days soaking in the sun of the beautiful coast they called home. Together they were Team Daystar, after the sun that enriched both of their lives. They had been brought together under its orange gleam and were grateful for its light ever since. Kaylee watched over Lierre while he slept for a few moments, reflecting on their journey together. He seemed so peaceful, the large green flower bud on his back gently rising and falling with each soft breath he took. A breeze drifted over their nests, making him shiver. He stretched out one of his front paws and flicked his tiny triangular ears. Kaylee smiled fondly at the sight.

The delicate chill of the night air was hardly noticeable to the Fire-type. Tiny shoots of orange flames lit up across her back at her command without any fear of being burned. Even after months of acquainting herself with her ability, the sensation was indescribable, as warmth rose from within her and enveloped her whole form with hardly a second thought. Along with the memories of the life she led before she met Lierre, she had completely forgotten what it meant to feel cold, which she counted as a luxury. She shook her whole body, allowing the flames to ruffle through her dark blue and yellow fur. Soon she felt much more comfortable (and significantly fluffier), allowing herself to finally pull away from her train of thought and settle down for the night. She and Lierre had a long day of adventuring in store for them tomorrow.

“Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep…” she muttered, slowly sinking into her bed in an increasingly futile attempt to shut off her mind. A soft noise, almost a squeak, reset her efforts to rest. She shot up and stared at Lierre beside her, four flames raising in tall spikes from her back with a soft “whoosh.” Red eyes slowly, deliriously, turned to her.

“Oh! I, um, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep. Goodnight…” Kaylee winced at her own rambling, but in his haze, Lierre hardly seemed to notice her at all.

“It’s alright,” he replied with a yawn, smacking his lips a couple times. His nest rustled softly as he snuggled into it. Moments later, he would have drifted into a sound sleep once more, the former disturbance by his partner completely forgotten by morning. Kaylee waited for a sign that he was upset about being awoken, but she knew better than to expect him to get angry at her. Rather, as he settled into his usual position, his legs tucked underneath him as he curled into a ball, she thought he looked downright adorable. She wanted to leave the encounter as it was and let him rest when her curiosity got the better of her. Her voice, merely a whisper, roused him from his slumber once again.

“Lierre? What do you do when you can’t sleep?”

“Hm? Why do you ask, Kaylee?” Ruby eyes blinked in concern, sleepiness forgotten at the sound of his partner’s voice. Lierre shuffled, turning to fix his gaze on her and stretching his legs in front of him. His voice lowered when he raised his own question in return. “Are you having trouble sleeping?”

"You can say that..."

Kaylee sighed, a yellow lick of flame flaring in synchrony with the sound. Then she flopped onto her back, staring up at the rock ceiling above them. The sheer face of grey provided a blank slate for her mind to project her memories of a gorgeous sunset sky brushed with orange and purple like a watercolor, the rush of warm and salty waves, and bubbles floating daintily in the air. A jagged cliff in the shape of a menacing shark—a Sharpedo, she recalled Lierre explaining—jutted out over the water. A face appeared in front of her, startling red eyes brimming with confusion and wonder, more brilliant than the blazing sky itself, meeting her own gaze. Her first day in this strange new world had been a whirlwind, chaotic, confusing, mesmerizing, beautiful.

“…Ever since I woke up on the beach, after I… well, after whatever happened to me…” She trailed off, her memories, or lack thereof, upon waking up in an unknown world quickly flooding back. Who was she before she washed ashore? Why did being a Pokémon feel so strange to her? And how did she end up here, with Lierre…? Too many mysteries arose all at once, and each felt ages away from being answered. It was too much for the young Cyndaquil to bear alone. “I’ve had so much to think about.”

Lierre couldn’t blame her. The ordeal she woke up to was beyond comprehension to the Bulbasaur. Kaylee had forgotten everything that ever happened to her before they met. If she had parents, siblings, friends, places she used to go, memories she cherished, things she loved… She could not recall them in the slightest. Neither of them had any idea if she would ever regain her memories, or if she was even close to the place she used to call her home. _ Everything _ was gone. Lierre sent a silent prayer asking for her memories every night, in the hopes they would make her happy upon their return. There were some nights, not unlike tonight, where he could glimpse into the fathoms of her broken heart. Her light had warmed his lonely soul. With all his power, he would keep the flame of her happiness alive. He would share his light with her, for both their spirits to shine with brilliant resonance. The first step on that journey would be to soothe her worries so she could sleep.

“I used to have a lot of trouble falling asleep,” Lierre began. “Sometimes I was just too excited about what I wanted to do. Finding buried treasure, discovering ancient secrets, exploring the world… There are so many dreams I want to come true. I want to find out what my secret treasure is for. I want to see everything.”

Kaylee was well-acquainted with Lierre’s secret treasure. The object was a broken chunk of polished grey stone, painted on its flat face with an intricate white cross pattern. It was given a home in the corner of the room they shared, and Lierre always kept it in his adventure supplies when he and Kaylee went on missions. She was honored that her partner trusted her so readily with his most prized possession, and even more so with his emotions. Rolling on her side to face him, she waited patiently for him to continue. After a moment, he sighed faintly, his gaze slowly turning to the ceiling. 

“I would worry about something I was planning on doing, thinking I would do something to screw it up. When I first thought about starting an exploration team and joining this guild, there were times when I couldn’t sleep for days.” He blinked slowly, once, twice, suddenly feeling all too vulnerable. “So many times, I tried to work up the courage to come here, but… I always chickened out. All my fears that I wouldn’t do a good job came rushing back when I came to the front door. I spent my nights thinking I would never find my way inside. But that was before I joined the guild with you…” He gulped, bracing himself for her reaction as he continued.

“I’m sorry, Cheri.” Her nickname for her partner slipped out instinctively. The day she came up with it was one of her fondest memories since meeting Lierre. Once during a sunny morning on their way to Apple Woods, soon after they first met, the two came across a small grove of trees with a plentiful berry stash. Lierre dedicated the entire day to teaching Kaylee what all the different berries they found tasted like. He had a penchant for a very sweet, fleshy berry he called Pecha. Its ability to expel the effects of poison were practically useless to the Bulbasaur who would someday evolve into a Poison-type Pokémon, but he cherished it nonetheless. Lierre’s unbridled enthusiasm about his love for the berry made it one of her personal favorites. She found that the Cheri berry, which bloomed with delicate white flowers in the spring, was the one she liked most of all. The berry’s red sheen reminded her of her partner’s eyes. Staring deep into them now, she prayed she could ebb away the pain that obscured their luster. “I wish I could have been there for you on those nights.”

“Really?” He swallowed, flustered at the conviction in Kaylee’s voice. After a moment, he felt significantly brighter. “Oh, well, t-thanks, Pecha. I feel like that would have helped a lot. You always help me feel better,” he said simply with a smile and hardly a care in the world. Talking to her felt natural, and soothed Lierre’s soul more than he could express. He found that honest conversations like these were second nature when they were being shared with her. She never judged his emotional tendencies or vulnerabilities, and she was a very good listener. Silently counting his blessings, he continued his train of thought.

“Whenever I couldn’t sleep, I practiced being brave. It would all work out if I told myself I could do it, that I’m not a coward. When I found my treasure, I felt like I finally got the boost I needed. Every night I would tell myself, ‘tomorrow is the day. You’re going to walk in there and start exploring the world in no time.’”

“What do you do now?” Kaylee asked innocently.

“Now? Well, now I—” He cut himself off as a blush quickly streaked across his snout. “N-now, I… Um…”

Her head tilted to the side as she looked at him quizzically. “Uh, Lierre? Are you alright?”

“Oh, uh, yes! I was just thinking of something else, that’s all,” he replied quickly with a small huff. “It’s just that, well, lately I don’t have any trouble sleeping. Part of it is because every time we come back from a mission, I’m so exhausted that I crash as soon as I come into this room,” he giggled.

Her laughter chimed alongside his own. “That happens to me a lot too. But sometimes, I just can’t help staying up thinking about the day. Every adventure we go on is special.”

“I know what you mean.” A slow smile tugged at the corner of Lierre’s mouth, and his scarlet eyes grew hazy. “There are some nights where I get lost in my memories. Sometimes, they’re the old ones, the times when I couldn’t stand up for myself, or I felt like a coward. Those are never nice… But more often than that, what keeps me up are my hopes for the future, and all my happy memories. More than anything… they’re the ones I share with you, Kaylee.”

A new warmth encompassed the Cyndaquil, different from that of the flames that subconsciously flared in ripples across her back. How sweet, she thought, that the feeling was mutual. Lierre had become her best friend quickly, the one person she could spend her every second with. Every happy memory she held in her heart now included him. He spent every day slowly opening her mind to the wonders of his world, ever patient and compassionate with her, even when she felt at her worst. Even though she could hold him back so much, potentially keep him from reaching his dreams if he stayed to keep her company, he was selflessly kind to her without a second thought. He didn’t even care that she was a Fire-type, and though she would never do anything to hurt him, the potential was always there, a lingering fear in the back of her mind. He accepted every part of her, took care of her, and cherished her. In return, he became her teammate, her partner, and all she could have ever hoped for. She smiled gently at him, ruffling the fur of her cheek in the hopes it would hide her blush.

“I’m glad to hear that, Lierre. I want to make so many more memories with you. Guildmaster Wigglytuff, Chatot, Diglett, Loudred, Sunflora, Bidoof… You. I’ve made so many new friends, and I’m so happy… that you’re here with me.”

_ Oh _ , how Lierre’s heart melted at those words. She cherished his company that much? The concept was overwhelming to the Bulbasaur, but far from unwelcome. If she wanted to, he’d be over the moon to hold onto their friendship for the rest of time. Suddenly, that thought struck a chord of doubt within his heart. Would she even _ want _ to stay friends with him like this when she regained her memories? Maybe something better, or some _ one _, was waiting for her to come home. He couldn’t keep her away from that, if that was what she wished… Kaylee’s face fell, and Lierre realized he must have had some funny look on his own. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

“Do you… Do you miss your old memories?” Lierre hesitated. How could he ask her to stay with him if she regained her memories? What if she wanted to go back to her old life? If that were to happen, then their exploration team, their adventures, their friendship… All of those would only become memories themselves. Kaylee’s head tilted down, as if she were lost in thought. Several tense moments passed before she responded, her voice measured as she picked her words carefully.

“I’m… not sure. It feels like something’s missing, yes. Someday, I’d like to know what those memories are, what my life was like. But it’s strange… How can I miss what I don’t remember? Whatever those memories were, they’re not a part of my life now. The only memories I have are the ones I’ve made since meeting you. And those… Those make me happy.” Kaylee looked back up at Lierre, and a slow smile blossomed across her face. “Even if I do get my old memories back, I like being here, with you.”

In all his memories, loneliness was Lierre’s only true companion. Making friends was out of the question for most of his young life, due to his naturally timid demeanor and easily frightened spirit. Though he did his best to maintain his bright, bubbly personality and boundless optimism, they could only do so much for the Bulbasaur who seemed confined to eternal solitude. He spent his days in a slow burn attempt to soften the edges of his splintered heart. At night he prayed ceaselessly for the courage to follow his ambitious dreams, and for someone to stand by his side in this fantastic thrill-ride of life. Then in an instant, his silent pleas were answered when an angel swept onto the shore. Her kindness and companionship ebbed away the darkness in his heart, leaving only light and laughter in their wake. She, who had come from another world, became the very center of his own.

Lierre held her gaze, his eyes lit up with his own heartfelt smile. “I want to be here for you now, Kaylee, on the nights that you can’t sleep, and every night after.”

“…And I want to be here for you, too. Always.”

Affection rose to full bloom in Lierre’s chest and swelled within him, swathing him with warmth like the gentle rays of sunlight they so loved. His smile split into a grin, and he was almost vibrating with all his excess joy. On sheer impulse, needing an outlet for this overwhelming emotion, he boosted himself out of his nest and plopped himself into Kaylee’s. His face nuzzled into the irresistibly soft fur of her side. It was the closest gesture to a hug Lierre could muster.

That very instant he realized his mistake. Her body went rigid at the touch. Lierre pulled back with a yelp to find Kaylee staring at him, the flames on her back flaring at full force. His face flushed bright red and he scrambled backwards, stuttering desperately while he tried to give her space.

“I-I’m sorry…! It’s just, you’re so, _ warm _, you always are, and, and I couldn’t help myself, and— I’m sorry, I’ll move over, it won’t happen again—”

“I… I don’t mind—!” She blurted, gaping at Lierre in blatant shock. They held each other’s wide-eyed gazes in silence. Several moments passed before she realized she meant it. Lierre seemed frozen mid-scramble. Only his head moved almost imperceptibly when he managed to reply.

“You… you don’t…?”

“No!” They both flinched at the outburst, much louder than Kaylee intended. “No, sorry, I… I don’t mind. Really. Please, don’t go. It feels so warm here,” she breathed. Both of them reveled in the silence following her words, and the meaning behind them.

“…Yes, it does.” Lierre relaxed, letting himself step back over to look into Kaylee’s eyes. He held his gaze to hers, allowing both of them to get lost in the act. Her worries seemed to have dispelled, replaced with the affection that lingered with the moonlight above them, soft and intoxicating. An eternity passed before he broke off the connection and let himself sink into the straw of Kaylee’s nest. Tucking himself into his usual ball, his side pressed against hers, and her warmth was indescribable. He gently nudged his cheek against hers with a smile. “Goodnight, Kaylee.”

She shifted her head slightly to place a gentle peck on his cheek in return. He stalled, a thin vine reaching over from his back and reverently touching the spot she kissed. Kaylee giggled, and they each nestled their head against the other’s.

"Goodnight, Lierre."

Loudred’s blaring wake-up alarm was sure to sound off far too soon to pull them away from their haven. Yet until that moment came, two partners tied by fate drifted into blissful dreams, blanketed by each other’s familiar warmth, their eternal promises to one another, and the silver moonlight from a velvet sky.

**Author's Note:**

> “Hold me ‘til I’m not lonely anymore, it’s only the crashing of the ocean to the shore /  
Cause in the dark, there are no strangers, there are no strangers at all.”
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and/or kudos are appreciated~ <3 Please let me know what you think, or if I need to add any additional tags or warnings. I am very new to this and I don't know what I'm doing yet ahahahah,


End file.
